Analysis of Bioethical Issues of Terry Schiavo Case

Bioethical Issues - Terry Schiavo Case
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Bioethical Issues - Terry Schiavo Case
Introduction
Terry Schiavo Case was a right-to-die legal case that occurred between 1990 and 2005 in the United States. The case involved Theresa Marie Schiavo, who, at the age of 26, collapsed suddenly due to cardiac arrest, putting her in a vegetative state until she died in 2005 (Terri Schiavo Documentary, 2014). Physicians concluded that this sudden event was caused by a potassium imbalance that prevented oxygen flow to the brain for several minutes, leaving Schiavo in a permanent vegetative state (PVS) (Terri Schiavo Documentary, 2014). Regardless of this situation, Terry’s family:- her husband Michael Schiavo and her parents Robert and Mary Schindler came together to support her and take care of her.
Years later, Terry’s husband proposed removing her feeding tube to end her life, arguing that Terry would not have wanted prolonged artificial life support without the possibility of recovery (Terri Schiavo Documentary, 2014). She also believed that Terry was already gone. However, Terry’s parents disagreed with her husband’s claim. The publicized, lengthened series of legal issues presented by Terry’s parents attracted state and federal politicians, including President George Bush (Terri Schiavo Documentary, 2014). This caused a seven-year delay before the woman's feeding tube was finally removed. The bioethical issue, in this case, is whether it was ethical to remove Terry’s feeding tube to end her life.
Bioethical Analysis
Terry Schiavo’s case is one of the examples of bioethical issues that have raised controversy regarding physician-assisted suicide. This case can be viewed from different angles of ethical principles in nursing. These principals guide physicians to make ethical decisions when ethical dilemmas such as Schiavo’s case arise. They include autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice. Analyzing these principles based on Schiavo's case helps determine whether it was ethical to remove her feeding tube. The principle of autonomy gives patients the right to make their...